


7/11 Romance

by orphan_account



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Anxiety, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, binsung rise, cause im projecting, changbin is the cute employee, its soft, jisung is a 7/11 addict, thats it thats the plot, trans felix, twice make a few cameos in this
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-16
Updated: 2019-07-17
Packaged: 2020-05-13 04:43:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19244068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: during these breaks he runs down to the local 7/11, and loads himself up on horrible but somehow good pizza, a bag of cheetos, and a slurpee, preferably blue raspberry. he definitely does not waste extra time in the store because he feels comfortable in there. no, that would be ridiculous.and he definitely doesn't stick around to peep at the cute cashier through the aisles.no, he doesn't do that.in which jisung is whipped for the pretty cashier boy, and maybe the cashier thinks he's cute too.





	1. following routine

**Author's Note:**

> this fic contains descriptions of anxiety and panic attacks so please proceed with caution!

the day started like any other for jisung. wake up exactly 5 minutes before he has to leave to get to the train on time, and panic while he stares at the toaster aggressively, willing it to just hurry the hell up. once said toast is done, sprint out the door, slamming it on the way out even though he knows he'll get an angry text from chan later. finally, reach the station just as the train pulls up, and get on, praying that he has his ticket in his bag (he always does.)

 

there’s an odd comfort in the routine. jisung has never considered himself an organized type, he can't keep his room clean for more than two hours, but maybe that's just one of the consequences of being a university student. sometimes he feels like he doesn't even have time to think of cleaning his room until its 3:20 am and it finally occurs to him that he can't see the floor. when its really bad, chan reminds him, and then he cant stop thinking about it all day, unable to focus in class. his brain really seems to be fighting him during those times.

 

the train is quieter than usual today, and it allows his mind to go absolutely wild. the quiet breaks routine, and he hates it when his routine is broken, it's like the world starts to crash in on him. his therapist said that it had something to do with his anxiety, but he couldn't care less what caused it, just wished it wasnt there. he distracted his hands by playing with strings of his hoodie.

 

jisung had always taken his mental illness in stride. he was diagnosed with adhd at the age of 3, but had coped well with the help of therapy. it never bothered him, he just ignored all the offhand comments people made. he knew it wasn't something he could control, and he had great friends that didn't care when he'd randomly interrupt to say whatever was on his mind.

 

then, one sunny day in 6th grade his teacher asked him to speak in front of the class, and he had a breakdown right in front of everyone. jisung shudders at the memory, recalling the shame and devastation from that moment all too easily. he wishes he could forget his first panic attack, but when you have one at least twice a month, it's hard to forget any of them.

 

his mom had to drive him home that day, and after a series of tests the psychologist announced that he had an anxiety disorder. adhd, he could handle. he had learned how to cope a long time ago. but anxiety? that was new, something jisung still couldn't get a grasp on, and it frustrated him.

 

he didn't let himself dwell on the quiet too long, instead choosing to throw on some music and stare at the bright lights on the ceiling. they reminded him of convenience stores, the ones he visits all too often. chan says that he spends way too much money at 7/11 but he disagrees. in his opinion, he's saving money. the boy had 5 active rewards cards and since he goes there everyday, he's bound to get a free slurpee at least once a week.

 

how is that considered wasting money?

 

trips to said convenience store are a part of his routine too. everyday after a music production lecture (they're always at the same time, which he is grateful to his professor for) he has at least an hour long break before his next class. the time fluctuates depending on whether he has a composition class after or not. if he does, it's only an hour. during these breaks he runs down to the local 7/11, and loads himself up on horrible but somehow good pizza, a bag of cheetos, and a slurpee, preferably blue raspberry. he definitely does not waste extra time in the store because he feels comfortable on there. no, that would be ridiculous.

 

and he definitely doesn't stick around to peep at the cute cashier through the isles.

 

no, he doesn't do that.

 

jisung recognizes his stop before they've even entered the station. he grabs his bag, making sure he has everything with him. laptop, water bottle, notebooks, pencil case. with the knowledge that everything is safe in his bag he hypes himself up a bit as he stands up, maneuvering his way through the crowd of people doing the same. he stands by the doors, noticing the way everyone was much too close for comfort. his hands are starting to sweat, and he wipes his palms on his sweatpants just as the door begins to open. he rushes out and makes a dash for the stairs, hurrying to his bus stop.

 

as expected the bus is already pulling up, and he slows to a jog as he gets in line. the fresh air is a nice change from the stuffy subway, it always is.

 

wandering on after an old woman, he reaches to pull out his bus pass, and then it dawns on him. the thing he forgot was his bus pass, and he doesn't have any change on him. the panic starts to build as he searches his bag, stepping aside to let another passenger on. no bus pass, no change. just his five 7/11 cards and a single twenty dollar bill.

 

he looks up, thoroughly defeated, about ready to beg the bus driver to let him stay, when suddenly the bus is moving, and he's being dragged to a seat near the back.

 

what?

 

he hasn't registered anything around him, just feeling his heartbeat violently and fuzziness of panic still in his head.

 

when he finally takes a deep breath, jisung realizes he's standing in the middle of the aisle in front of a concerned looking stranger, and immediately plops himself down in the seat next to him. 

 

jisung doesn't miss the concerned look the stranger shoots him, but chooses to ignore it in favour of finding his composure. he stares at the ground, tapping his foot a little more aggressive than is necessary. the stranger puts a hand on his shoulder and smiles at him, “ _ in case you're still worried about, i paid for your bus ticket. i figured you were too busy panicking to realize _ .” his voice is sweet, and all too familiar. in fact, the man himself is so familiar but jisung simply can't put a name to the face, and he nods. he slumps in his seat, his hands playing idly with his hoodie strings.

 

“ _ you're peter, right? one of felix's friends _ ?”

 

his attention is brought back to the current world when he hears him say that. he almost says no until he remembers that, oh yeah, he is technically peter. he hates that felix uses that name, but he supposes it's karma for calling him yongbok all the time. he nods “ _ yeah, but my name’s jisung, actually _ .” the stranger hums in acknowledgment, “ _ seungmin _ ” he says.

 

again, the name is familiar, but he can't remember where he's heard of this guy before. he knows who he is, his subconscious is sure of it, but just can't figure it out. curse you, shitty memory. 

 

it takes a moment of jisung staring at him confusedly until it hits him, and he audibly yells “ _ AHA _ !” causing at least two old people to glare at him. seungmin himself seems surprised, and gives him a strange look. “ _ you're the guy who jeongin always hangs out with! _ ” he says like he's discovered the secret of the universe. seungmin snorts, “ _ how long did it take you to connect the dots on that? _ ” jisung huffs, glaring at the boy. “ _ shut up _ .” seungmin smirks but doesn't push him, and turns back to face the front of the bus.

 

jisung has another 15 minutes on this bus till he gets to his stop, and he's now got every right to call out jeongin and felix.

  
  


[ gay cult ] 8:39 am

  
  


acornism: jeongin and felix you owe me your braincells right now

 

hyun jeanist: oh boy?

 

acornism: i cant eblieve i had to answer to peter

 

boogie man: you deserve it

 

bepis: OFJSKJFKEKCA LMAOOOO

 

acornism: please shut the fuck up 

 

acornism: sorry that was harsh, ignore it

 

bepis: you okay ji??

 

acornism: oh,, ykno,, i didnt think my first meeting with seungmin would be him saving me from my panic attack in the middle of the bus but i guess it be like that

 

acornism: also why the fuck would you call me peter around him??

 

bepis: payback

 

hyun jeanist: you met seungmin??

 

acornism: he told me i was a dumbass for not realizing who he was sooner 

 

boogie man: definitely seungmin

 

acornism: cant believe i get to add another bully to the mix 🤪

 

bepis: are you okay though??

 

acornism: yeah im alright now

 

acornism: i forgot my fucking bus pass and just died on the spot

 

bepis: wow mood

 

hyun jeanist: i assume seungmin paid for you?

 

acornism: yeah

 

bepis: lmao seungmin acts like hes mean but hes the sweetest boy ever

 

boogie man: no hes just evil

 

hyun jeanist: seungmin just doesnt want guilt on his conscious

 

acornism: are you all telling me im sitting next to satan rn?

 

boogie man: yes

 

bepis: yes

 

acornism: anna ou-

  
  


upon arriving at his stop, jisung stands up and walks to doors of the bus, turning and waving at seungmin as he leaves. he won't admit it to anyone (especially felix) but the redhead was intimidating. he just gave him a vibe that he could fuck his shit up if he wanted to, just like jeongin.

 

maybe that's why they were friends.

 

there's a 5 minutes walk till he gets to the building (he timed himself once.) this is always the most boring part of his routine, but he finds himself enjoying it today. being on the bus is a 50/50 experience, sometimes he gets to witness some wack shit that his fellow citizens pull, then there's days like this, horrible, bad. walking helps him clear his mind, so he appreciates it today. 

 

another part of his routine, is wondering if he'll have time to go to the gym. he's not a very athletic person, despite him being part of the basketball team in high school, but he likes to keep in shape. being a university student means spending most of his time on assignments because he doesn't want to fail. consequently, this means he never knows if he'll have time to workout that day or not. he knows missing a day fucks up his routine, but at this point he's given up trying to have any kind of muscle mass. he doesn't know how chan manages that, it's kind of scary honestly.

 

upon getting to the correct building, he wanders his way up the ridiculously tall stairs. jeongin made fun of him once for how strong his legs were, but when you have to walk up monster stairs everyday it shouldn't be a surprise that they're the strongest part of his body. he'd be more concerned if they weren't. walking up these stairs is probably the best exercise he gets all week.

 

reaching the top of these stairs is always weird, for some reason. the first time he walked up these stairs he had almost busted a lung. but now he feels a slight burn in his legs. he doesn't feel accomplished, but at least he can compete with felix's weird leg strength. dancers kind of scare him sometimes.

 

walking to class is either loud or quiet, and today has chosen to be a quiet day. jisung makes his way through the hallways, choosing to follow behind another student so that he doesn't have to have an awkward run in with someone where they both try to move to one side and then you stand there for 5 seconds, wondering what way the other will go.

 

he hates those encounters, they just remind him just how much of a social disaster he is. walking behind someone guarantees he won't have to experience that, unless they enter a class. in those scenarios he just finds another person to hide behind. no one ever points it out, too focused on getting to class. he's thankful for that.

 

jisung reaches the lecture hall in relative peace and makes his way halfway up the stairs, once again cursing the amount of stairs in this school. he sits in his usual seat, waiting for his only friend in this class to show up.

 

dahyun always comes into class exactly one minute before class begins, never early and never late. her consistency always surprises him, but then again he does the same thing, so he can't really say much. 

 

jisung considers lectures to be hell personified. he's not one to dislike a class, but when you never know if you'll be able to focus on a class or not it's difficult not to. added on to the lack of focus is sometimes is the times his professor says something that he just does not understand, and he curses his lack of patience to study english. jisung is fluent, theres no doubt of that. he can understand 90% of what his professor says, but certain terms he uses just bounce off his skull as having no meaning. he knows he should study more even if he is fluent, but he honestly can't find the time to. usually he just asks dahyun, and she tells him. he honestly owes that girl his soul, and he's surprised she hasn't taken it. that girl is almost as threatening as jeongin.

 

speaking of which, said girl has just arrived, one minute before the lecture starts as usual. he waves at her, and she smiles back at him as she jogs up the stairs. dahyun takes her seat and he sees her say something, but his brain doesn't register it at all. jisung gives her an apologetic smile and says “what?” to which she snorts.

 

“gonna be one of those days, huh?” she shifts in her seat as she grabs her laptop and a notebook. 

 

this makes him realize he should probably try to get ready to take notes even if he can't focus. at least he can say he was trying then. dahyun gives him a look as he shuffles through his bag, and sighs.

 

“i'll send you a copy of my notes, chill.” jisung sighs, and nods, muttering a soft “thank you” in reponse.

 

just as predicted jisung is unable to focus on anything said to him. he knows that his professor is speaking, but the words just bounce right off of him, and he's completely lost. sometimes he picks up on something but within a few moments he's distracted again, thinking of a million things all at once.

 

the main thing occupying his mind is the incident from this morning, the more he thinks about it the more mortifying it is. the first time he ever meets seungmin is him having a stupid breakdown in the middle of a bus over his lack of a bus pass. what kind of person has a breakdown over a bus pass? him, apparently, and said breakdown was witnessed by everyone on the bus. seungmin probably paid for him just because he didn't want to wait any longer for the bus to leave. he probably didn't even want to associate with jisung, why would he? 

 

it's at this moment dahyun takes note of the boys fidgeting, the way he's chewing on his lip and his brow is furrowed. she slaps him across the side of the head. jisung yelps and everyone pauses to stare at him, and now his palms are sweaty again and it's only been an hour since the last time they had been sweaty. as everyone looks back to the professor he turns to dahyun with a glare, but before he can say anything she speaks. “you were doing it again,” 

 

he feels heat rise to his face, why the hell was he so obvious?

 

she keeps going. “i don't know what you're so worried about but it's probably not as bad as you think it is.” 

 

his expression turns to one of doubt, and she returns his glare from earlier. “don't give me that look, you know i'm right.” she probably is, the rational part of him knows this. dahyun is one of the smartest people he knows, maybe smarter than chan (but he won't say that to his face.) the irrational part of him says otherwise, but both parts are distracting by his phone vibrating.

 

__ (1) new message from christopher robin _ _

 

 

 

of course it's the boy in question. he swears that man is a mind reader, he always knows the right time to message him. jisung is thankful for that, especially when he's in a bad state. his friend always knows how to sufficiently distract him.

  
  


christoper robin: hey, felix said smth happened earlier, you okay?

  
  


felix really doesnt know how to keep his mouth shut, does he? 

 

either way, maybe it's a good thing. as much as he feels like a burden coming to other people with his problems, jisung likes it when they check in on him. it makes him feel like they really do care, even though he already knows they do. jisung figures he might as well talk to chan, there's no chance of him getting his attention span back at this point.

  
  


peter han: im okay now

 

peter han: it was kind of stupid anyway

 

christopher robin: your problems aren't stupid, ji

 

peter han: i know

 

christopher robin: what happened?

 

christopher robin: you dont mind me asking

 

peter han: its fine lol

 

peter han: i kinda freaked out cause i forgot my bus pass

 

peter han: i didnt actually have a panic attack or anything, although i might have if i had to stand there any longer

 

christopher: i assume you got saved by someone then?

 

peter han: seungmin

 

peter han: i think i guilt tripped him with my panic but he paid for me and then dragged me away to sit down so

 

christopher robin: did you thank him?

  
  


it's in this moment the world caves in on jisung.

he could have sworn he said thank you, but now that he thinks back on it he can't recall ever saying it. he might have a shit memory but he remembers this morning clear as day, played the events out in his head over and over, a million times. and he clearly remembers  _ not  _ saying thank you.

 

jisung feels like he's gonna die right then and there, and then everyone in this room is gonna laugh at him. he will forever be known as the boy who died over not saying thank you, and everyone who hears the story will laugh and think about how stupid he must have been.

 

most importantly, seungmin will hear about it, and then laugh the hardest he ever has, and tell felix and all his friends. his friends will laugh too, even chris will laugh, because why wouldn't you? it's the stupidest death you could have, one so shameful even god will stifle a laugh upon hearing about it.

 

suddenly, there's a sharp pain in his shin.

 

he looks over at dahyun, who is glaring at him again. she raises a hand to pinch the bridge of her nose, and then looks back at him. 

 

“what did i say just ten minutes ago? chill out and stop catastrophizing everything, i can't think over the feeling of your panic!” she whisper shouts this at him. jisung nods weakly, turning back to his phone. he's got a whole lot more messages than he did before.

  
  


christopher robin: you didnt, did you?

 

christopher robin: im sure you can ask felix or jeongin to do it for you

 

christopher robin: jisung?

 

christopher robin: i hope youre not panicking or else im gonna have to leave class and take you out to get ramen

 

christopher robin: if you dont respond in 5 mins im coming over there

 

peter han: IM HERE

 

christopher robin: dahyun?

 

peter han: dahyun.

 

christopher robin: i always knew she was a good influence

 

peter han: i thought you said she was corrupting me with her chaos?

 

christopher robin: anyone who can knock you out off panic is good in my opinion

 

peter han: SHE KICKED MW

 

christopher robin: but it worked, didn't it?

 

peter han: no comment

 

christopher robin: lol, why don't you text one of your friends and ask them to thank seungmin?

 

christopher robin: and before you say that youre busy in class, you know that i know youre not focused

 

peter han: shshhhh

  
  


[ gay cult ] 9:31

  
  


acornism: someone please tell seungmin thank you for me i forgot

 

acornism: i definitely did not start to panic when chan reminded me. i didnt

 

bepis: youre such a disaster

 

boogie man: he says its fine

 

acornism: hes beside you isnt he

 

boogie man: ya

 

boogie man: - seungmin

 

hyun jeanist: arent you guys in class

 

acornism: yeah, felix

 

boogie man: youre in class too

 

acornism: we all know even if i tried i wouldnt be getting any work done

 

hyun jeanist: jeongin youre in class too??

 

boogie man: it doesnt start for 5 more mins

 

acornism: lucky,, i wish i didnt have an 8 am class

 

boogie man: your class starts at 8:40

 

acornism: sh

 

bepis: i actually am paying attention

 

bepis: which is more than jisung is doing

 

acornism: okay fuck you

 

hyun jeanist: dahyun is way too nice to you

 

acornism: she literally just kicked me in the shin

 

acornism: i think its gonna bruise

 

hyun jeanist: i meant about the notes thing, but damn

 

boogie man: i wish i could kick you in the shin

 

acornism: do it i dare you

 

boogie man: meet me after class

 

acornism: i hope you enjoy your first meeting with chan :)

 

hyun jeanist: jeongin dont do it you dont wanna face the rath of chan

 

bepis: he treats jisung like his son i stg

 

acornism: youre just jealous im the favourite child

 

bepis: i mean yeah

 

hyun jeanist: okay but lets not provoke chan today

 

boogie man: i wanted to kick jisung tho

 

acornism: this is bullying

 

boogie man: i dont like squirrels

 

acornism: bruh

  
  


the conversation is interrupted by dahyun poking him, an expectant look on her face.

 

“it’s over, what do you have next?”

 

he hums in response, putting his stuff back into his bag. he stands up and swings the bag over his shoulder, “music theory in about 40 minutes.” he says.

 

she nods, “i have a 50 minute break, wanna grab some coffee? you look like you could use it.” and she's right, he probably could use a cup of coffee.

 

“sure, we going to the starbucks?” he follows her down the stairs and out the door.

 

“yeah, the one across campus. i figured they'd be pretty empty around now, since most people have class.” 

 

the pair walk to starbucks in relative peace, sharing light conversation as they walk. they pass by a squirrel gathering nuts in its cheeks, and dahyun laughs as she compares the two. he insists that she's wrong, but she wasn't buying it. 

 

"recreate that and prove to me your not a squirrel, then." she smirks.

 

"what do i get out of it?"

 

"i'll buy your coffee."

 

"deal."

 

jisung doesn't say no to free things.

 

so now they're here, and dahyun is buying them both coffee and a bag of nuts.

 

she already knows what jisung likes in his coffee but she asks anyway, and once paying comes back to the table with a bag on walnuts and a receipt. “stuff a handful of these in your cheeks, and we'll see whos right.” she hands him the bag and he glares at her, but nods. 

 

god, the stuff that he'll do for free food.

 

dahyun watches him intensely as he pours the nuts into his hand, “that's not enough” she says casually. “what do you mean that's not enough? you said a handful!”

 

“squirrels have smaller cheeks than us, you saw how much that boy was packing.”

 

she has a point, but he wishes she didn't. after dahyun gives him the okay, jisung leans his head back and stuffs the walnuts in his cheeks. when he finally tilts his head forward to look the girl in the eye, she starts wheezing softly, “oh my  _ god. _ ” jisung glares back. “i don’ look like- like a squiwwel!" he says as best as he can.

 

dahyun snorts again and whips out her phone, “let me show you.” he really doesn't want a picture of this to exist, but can't really do anything as she takes it.

 

“do a cute one- like, squirrel aegyo, or whatever.”

 

jisung begrudgingly does as asked, sticking his hands up like ears and pouting at her. this only causes her to laugh harder as she takes the picture. this was definitely a bad idea on his part.

 

before she can show him the photo, the name daisy is called, and she gets up, still laughing at him as she does. dahyun returns a few moments later with both their drinks, and sets them on the table, sliding jisung's over to him. 

 

“why the hell did you put your name as daisy?” he asks. she shrugs, giggling “it’s easier for them to say.”

 

at this point he's eaten all the walnuts that were abused, because he actually does like them, no matter what he says. he grabs his coffee and takes a sip, watching her as she scrolls through her phone. after a moment she puts her phone in front of him, trying to hold back her laughter.

 

the picture is horrible. he hates it, because it proves her point. jisung looks exactly like a squirrel. 

 

in fact he hates it so much he grabs the girl's phone and tries to delete it. dahyun is faster than him though, and snatches her phone back. “you know i’m right, squirrel boy.” she types something out on her phone, and he feels his own buzz a few seconds later. 

 

jisung decides that yeah, today might be a good day to die after all.


	2. convenience store catastrophe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw for descriptions of anxiety attacks in this chapter!! please proceed with caution.  
> also im dumb and forgot to mention but if you havent figured it out yet.. italics means theyre speaking in english

[ gay cult ]

  
  


acornism: friendship ended with all of you, chan is my only friend

 

boogie man: im not giving you money for slurpees

 

hyun jeanist: ^^

 

bepis: ill still give you money but only because i have ownership of this image

 

acornism: i already decided im dying today so jokes on you

 

hyun jeanist: i wouldnt mind that

 

boogie man: mood

  
  


class is finally over and jisung can't wait to get out of this room.

 

he files out after all the other students, making his way through the halls and hoping he won't run into anyone. despite him blasting his music he can still hear the soft hum of students talking, and it doesn't ease until he's out of the corridor. leaving through the exit, he runs down the stairs, two at a time. he jumps over the last four, breaking into a sprint in the same direction as always.

 

this is always a part of his routine. today he has a longer break than usual, as its a tuesday, and he doesn't have music theory on tuesdays, but he runs anyway. 

 

jisung always runs to 7/11, determined to make it there so he has as much time to stand around and stare at aisles as possible. since he has a two hour break today, he'll probably message chan and ask him to pick him, and then they'll talk and eat all the snacks jisung bought, sticking to the routine.

 

slowing down as he pulls up to a crosswalk, he waits behind a few people and pulls out his phone to shoot chris a text.

 

his friend always says yes when he asks him to hang out, no matter the situation. still, he feels the need to ask anyway, just in case.

 

the sign on the street turns to the white man (jisung always wondered who thought of that) and he begins to cross. his phone buzzes on the way. as soon as he reaches the other side jisung pulls it out to read the message.

  
  


christopher robin: sorry, cant today :(

 

christopher robin: my prof wants to meet with me to go over smth

  
  


jisung is disappointed at the news, but doesn't let it ruin his mood. he can't be sad when he's about to go get some gross but delicious food, especially when there's a slurpee involved. nothing is bad when he has a slurpee.

 

he still kind of wishes he had some company though, eating snacks is much more fun when you have someone to enjoy them with. unfortunately, though, all his friends are in class, or not close enough to hang out with him.

 

jisung's going over his list of friends for the twelfth time when he realizes he forgot someone.

 

minho isn't someone he's really close to, but he's been over to the boys house too many times (he goes over there to pet his cats) to not consider him a friend at least.

 

maybe the term business friends would be more accurate.

 

they talk over text mostly, and the rare time he sees minho on campus, they wave at each other and keep going with their day.

 

the only reason they're friends is because he joined the ‘gay and trans rights club’ (he has no idea how they managed to get it called that.) minho is organizer of the club, and although they had never met before, the two had bonded quickly. every sunday when minho walks into the meeting he yells something about trans people being valid, then rants about something homophobic he witnessed that day. jisung wouldn't say it to his face, but he really looks up to how confident the other is.

 

the only other reason he knows minho is because chan has a giant gay crush on him. anytime he sees them together jisung has to watch them awkwardly flirt, and then turn around and act like the other doesn't like them. everyone knows they like each other, even dense ass hyunjin can tell. they're all just waiting for the day one of them puts on their confident gay pants and asks the other out. at the pace they're currently at, though, he doubts that will be happening anytime soon.

  
  


jisung decides that he might as well ask minho, because why not. besides, he's the one paying for the snacks. 

  
  


[ mentos ]

 

jisucc: are you free rn?

 

jisucc: im getting snacks at 7 11

  
  


that's probably enough to get the point across, so he puts his phone away in favour of running across the next crosswalk. he's almost there, just a right turn around the next corner.

 

picking up the pace, he sprints all the way up the street, almost running into a small child. he yells out an apology as he passes them, getting glared at by the mother. jisung doesn't stop his sprint, turning the corner and making his way to his most beloved store. 

 

as he makes his way up to the glass doors, he heaves in exhaustion. there's no exercise quite like running across town in order to reach his favourite 7/11. pulling open the doors, jisung basks in the feeling of the air conditioner on his face. he walks inside the store, letting the door slam shut behind him.

 

glancing towards the counter, his heart stutters just a little when he spots the cute cashier behind it. the boy must be tired of seeing him every damn day. he probably wonders why jisung spends all his money here.

 

in all honesty, seeing his cute face every day is absolutely worth going broke.

 

the other glances up from his phone and meets his eyes, and jisung smiles at him, a genuine smile. the boy nods in recognition, they both know he'll be here for a while.

 

jisung's never gotten close enough to read the boy's name tag. everytime he goes up to pay, jisung gets too distracted staring at the way his eyelashes cast shadows on his cheeks, and how round and cute his nose is. the way his hair falls over his eyes every now and then, and he has gently brush it out of the way.

 

jisung always wants to reach out and fix it for him.

 

he tries to remind himself to read his name tag, but the boy is just too pretty, and jisung's just too weak. minho once declared him a disaster gay for a reason.

 

jisung makes his way down the aisle with chips, stopping to look at the overpriced bags. he stares at them for a while, feeling the strong urge to look back at the counter.

 

he sneaks a glance at the cute employee, who is still on his phone. his face is fixed in a determined expression as he taps away at the screen. the light from the screen illuminates his face in a light blue, and jisung finds it way prettier than he probably should. there's a sparkle in his eyes from reflection of the screen, and it makes him look so ethereal that he forgets he’s blocking the entire aisle for a minute.

 

until someone clears their throat behind him.

 

jisung jolts up and moves back, muttering a sorry as the stranger passes. his face is bright red, and he's really glad no one he knows (cough- felix) is here to see it. 

 

just then, he feels his phone buzz.

  
  


_ (2) new messages from mentos _

  
  


mentos: sure, i dont have class until 2:30

 

mentos: which one you at

 

jisucc: one by that cat cafe you took the club on a field trip to

 

mentos: we should go there again lmao

 

mentos: ill be there in 10

  
  


well, now that that's settled he finds himself a bit more excited.

 

after all, what's more exciting than petting cats?

 

nothing. period.

 

he forces himself to pay attention to the task at hand and not creepily stare at the cute cashier in favour of getting snacks. its so tempting, he finds himself stealing glances at the cute boy every few minutes. it's like an addiction, he just can't hold himself back.

 

it's now, staring at the rows of food in front of him, that he realizes that he has no clue what minho likes, and he really doesn't want to share his cheetos.

 

sure, they're friends, but they're not  _ that _ good of friends.

 

snatching a bag off the shelf he dawdles over to the candy, grabbing mentos just so he can annoy minho with them. then, a better thought comes to him, and he runs off to the refrigerators.

 

what type of soda to get is debatable. he once read a study that said coke zero is better while in a sugar high at 3:00 am, and he doesn't know any better so he just grabs that. he figures if he's going to minho’s he might as well grab some ramen. besides, everyone likes ramen.

 

something in the back of his mind reminds him grab pocky, and as he walks down the aisles he makes a mental note of how much all of this will cost. if his calculations are correct, he still has exactly eight dollars to spend, not counting the slurpee.

 

maybe the cute cashier will give him a discount if he promises to tip him next time, since they both know jisung will be back tomorrow.

 

thinking about the cute cashier makes jisung glance over to him. he's not looking at his phone anymore, talking to one of the other employees. the boy's side view is really pretty, so much so that holds his gaze in place.

 

jisung is so enamoured by the view that he doesn't hear the chime of the door alarm as someone enters. he's too lost staring at this cute boy who he wishes he could get the name of, but is just too damn disastrous. 

 

suddenly, someone pokes his shoulder from behind. whipping around, he almost hits the poor guy in face with his armful of snacks, and is about the apologize when he realizes its minho. “how long were you standing there swooning over him?” the other smirks at him.

 

“why didn't you text me you were here?”

 

minho shrugs, “don't change the subject, you disaster gay,” jisung glares at him.

 

“i was  _ not _ swooning, i was appreciating his side view. there's a difference.”

 

minho laughs at that, and turns towards the snacks, “god, you sound like an artist, how much have you been hanging out with felix?” jisung straightens his posture, and watches minho hands him a bag of gummies. “okay, that's just insulting. i do  _ not  _ sound like an artist, what does an artist even sound like? that makes no sense.” minho smirks at him and shrugs.

 

jisung huffs and turns to walk towards the slurpee machine, but is stopped in his tracks when he sees it.

 

there it is, the worst thing that could possibly happen, right in front of him. “you gotta be kidding me, no, it's not true- it can't be..” 

 

there's a sign across the blue raspberry flavour that reads out, in bold letters  _ OUT OF ORDER _ .

 

jisung almost drops his snacks, sinking to his knees. he stares at the machines in horror, and makes a weird noise of disappointment.

 

“ _ you probably shouldn't sit on the floor. this is a 7/11 _ .”

 

at the sound of the voice, jisung whips his head around to see cute cashier boy looking at him, a slight smile on his face. jisung's heart flutters as he looks at him, then he realizes he didn't even hear what the boy had said. all he can think of saying is “ _ what _ ?”

 

cute cashier boy lets out a breathy laugh, breaking out into a full on smile. jisung swoons at the sight, convinced this boy is an angel sent from the 7/11 gods.

 

“ _ might wanna get off the floor _ .” and he actually registers the boys words this time. he swiftly stands up, almost dropping his mentos in the process. 

 

minho seems to sense his dilemma and wanders over, shooting a wave at the angel cashier boy. “ _ why were you even on the floor? _ ” jisung simply stares at the out of order sign, huffing softly before he gets to his feet once again.

 

"my dear blue raspberry, who did this to you." he whispers, and he sets all his snacks down onto the metal counter. jisung starts unconsciously muttering about how much of a disaster this day has been, and why hadn't god just ended him before the day even started.

 

there's a snort behind him, “that's awful dramatic. what even happened that's got you that upset?” minho walks up beside him and looks over the flavours, judging each one.

 

jisung looks back at him with the most exasperated look he can manage, “almost had a panic attack. twice.”

 

minho frowns, expression going from amused to soft. “that doesn't sound nice, you alright?” 

 

jisung finds himself nodding even though he feels the exact opposite. he's too busy dwelling iver over his options to notice the concern in minho's gaze.

 

he could not get a slurpee and sacrifice himself for the sake of his tradition, but that would mean breaking his streak, and jisung has never broken his streak. the other option is to get a different flavour, but that's also not a very good choice because all the flavours are mediocre except for the rare chance they have lemon lime, which is almost never.

 

jisung huffs at the machine in agony. maybe if he stares at it long enough it'll start working again.

 

“just get watermelon. if you don't drink it i will.” minho's voice cuts through his thoughts, and he sighs. he might as well, it's better than breaking routine.

 

after acquiring his slurpee they walk up to the counter and he gently places his snacks down.

 

cute angel cashier boy looks up at them, and once spotting minho snorts, “wasn't expecting to see you here today, especially with him.” he says in perfect korean.

 

jisung feels like he's just experienced whiplash. he's korean? did that mean he could hear their conversation about jisung swooning? oh god, oh no. what if he heard everything they said and now thought jisung was a weird, gross stalker? this is officially the worst thing that could happen.

 

god, please end him now. 

 

minho places a hand on his shoulder, grounding him back into reality.

 

“he can understand you, you know.” minho says, sounding quite amused, and cute cashier angel looks at him briefly, “oh.”

 

but jisung is too busy drowning. his palms are sweating again, the third time in one day. the water is rising, rising, and he wishes it would drown him. its cold on his skin but it also feels like its burning him. he sweating, and hes freezing at the same time, his lungs contricting with every breath.

 

then, the water suddenly falls away as minho backhands him across the face.

 

“what the fuck?” jisung yells, holding his face in his hands. the searing pain is so bad he almost doesn't hear minho speak, “stop thinking stupid shit. it's kinda obvious.”

 

jisung turns to glare at him, and is about to quip back when perfect angel cashier boy clears his throat. “$18.37” he says softly, not looking too bothered by what he just witnessed. jisung immediately begins to shuffle through his bag, looking for the singular twenty he had stashed just for this trip. once located, he hands it to him, praying the boy doesn't notice how sweaty and gross his hands were.

 

after the boy takes it jisung swiftly wipes his palms on his jeans, smiling awkwardly. 

  
  


“i’m surprised you haven't gone broke from this.” angel boy states, looking amused.

 

jisung laughs uncomfortably, trying not to completely lose his composure. “bold of you to assume i wasn't broke to begin with.” he says, trying not to let how much of a mess he currently is show through.

 

the cashier hasn't actually spoken to him all that much, despite the daily visits. even so, jisung had already decided that the boy's voice is sweetest thing he has ever heard. he wants to hear it everyday for the rest of his life.

 

angel voice boy hands him the bag as he lets out the same breathy laugh he did earlier, and jisung thinks he might just be in heaven. what did he do to deserve this? maybe it's because he bought snacks for minho.

 

mental note: be nicer to minho.

 

the cutest boy to ever exist wishes them a good day as they leave, and all he can do is smile and nod. he feels like he's gonna collapse in on himself.

 

no amount of stairs could save him from this fate, and he's not even mad about it.

 

minho takes notice of his state and snorts “you're so fucking whipped.” he can't even bring himself to disagree, just smiles. minho starts cracking up at his reaction.

 

“oh my god, i can't believe you're gay for my best friend. you're such a disaster, how are you still breathing?” he says through laughter.

 

at those words, the world stops spinning. time seems to slow down, and all he can think about is the fact that the water has started rising again.

 

“you just.. you- i… what?”

 

he feels like his throat is closing up, and minho looks at him with concern. “what, that changbin is my best friend? are you okay? you seem off today.” changbin. his name is changbin. minho is best friends with changbin. minho and changbin are best friends and he just ruined all of his chances. minho has probably told changbin how much of a mess he is, how dumb he is. oh god, this day can't get worse.

 

as they arrive at the car he feels himself on the verge of breaking.

 

minho seems to be one step ahead of him though, and as they both sit he turns to look at him. “today is one of those days, huh?” he says as he turns on the ignition. “why don’t you talk to your friends? distract yourself before you can see my therapy cats.”

 

jisung doesn't know what to say so he just nods softly, and figures minho is right. minho is smarter than him, after all.

 

he takes a deep breath and tries to control the level of the water. 

  
  


[ gay cult ]

  
  


acornism: can you believe today is the worst day ever? so fun

 

boogie man: did you stub your toe

 

acornism: almost had two more breakdowns in the span of 5 mins

 

boogie man: oof, you okay?

 

acornism: no

 

bepis: i wish i was there to cuddle you but im not

 

bepis: you wanna vent??

 

acornism: i feel kinda stupid for the reasons and i know youre gonna say its not true but just shush

 

hyun jeanist: how dare you read my mind

 

acornism: okay long paragraph in coming

 

acornism: you know that cashier at 7/11 i always talk about? okay well i was at the store with minho and i started dying over how cute he was and then they start talking in korean? which like, score, but anyway

 

bepis: whipped

 

acornism: upon registering this my brain reminds me that me and minho were talking about him earlier and if he can speak korean, that means he can understand us. and if he could understand us that meand he probably hesrd minho say i was gay as hell for him

 

bepis: oh boy

 

hyun jeanist: thats a big yikes

 

acornism: i stary panickimg, and minho has to slap me in front of him in ordwr to get my attention. after we pay and leabe he makes fun of me and he tells me that THEYRE BEST FRIENDS

 

acornism: this is officially the worst thign that could happen and its all hapenning roday

 

acornism: kill me before god decidws to do it himself

 

bepis: how is him being friends with the cashier a problem? doesnt thank make you have higher chances?

 

hyun jeanist: god how do you still not know his name

 

acornism: I LNOW HIS MAME NOW

 

acornism: UTS CHANGBON

 

boogie man: changbon,,,

 

acornism: i menat changbin

 

hyun jeanist: changbon fidjkfjejfk

 

acornism: if minho is friends with him that meand that minho has probagly told him hpw weirx i am and then cjangbin has told him about how weied it is yhat i always go there and they think im stuoid and weirf

 

boogie man: okay thats not true and we all know it

 

bepis: jisung please take a deep breath

 

bepis: and not like a hold your breath deep breath, actually breathe

 

hyun jeanist: oh hun

 

hyun jeanist: im sure he doesnt think that ji

 

hyun jeanist: and if he does hes not worth your time, you deserve a lot better than that

 

boogie man: as much as id like to keep my image hyunjin is right

 

boogie man: i can tell you like this guy a lot but if he really thought of you that way hes not worth your time

 

acornism: you didnt hear the way he referred to me

 

acornism: likw he thought i was weirs and

 

hyun jeanist: if he thinks youre weird hes not worth your time hun

 

acornism: i just

 

acornism: i feel kinda stupid for how much i like him whn i dont even know ehat hes like oitside of beimg pretty

 

bepis: why dont you talk to chan and ask him? you know hes gonna be honest with you

 

acornism: okay 

 

acornism: yeah

 

hyun jeanist: we love you jisung!! dont forget that

  
  


he doesn't think he deserves this much love from his friends, he never has.

 

sometimes it feels like it not really true, but hyunjin is a terrible liar, and he knows, in that little rational part of his head that its the truth. whatever he did to deserve them he doesn't know, but he knows one thing; no matter what the outcome of this situation is, he thinks he'll manage as long as he has them. jisung opens up his messages with chan.

  
  


peter han: are you busy

 

christopher robin: not if its you, whats up?

 

peter han: okay minho is the dude yoire courting right

 

christopher robin: please dont phrase it like that

 

peter han: can you tslk to him for me

 

christopher robin: why? arent you friends?

 

peter han: i gyess i juzt

 

christopher robin: whats wrong ji

  
  


in the best detail he can manage, jisung recounts the events that happened. he recalls the panic he felt, the feeling of the water rising around him.

 

jisung suddenly can't wait till they get to minho’s house. some cat pets would really do him good right about now.

  
  


christopher robin: do you really think minho thinks youre weird? has he told you this

 

peter han: why would he sau it tomy face

 

christopher robin: does minho seem like the type of person who would hang out with someone who he thinks is weird?

 

peter han: but chamgbin

 

christopher robin: i cant say anything about this guy cause i dont know him, but im sure he doesnt think like that

 

christopher robin: and even if he did, then that just shows what type of person he is. someone who judges others based on one experience with them is a very closed minded, and they are not worth your time.

 

peter han: i know

 

peter han: okau

 

christopher robin: just ask minho himself, or get hyunjin to do it

 

peter han: i dont know if i can

 

christopher robin: jisung youre not gonna be able to calm down until you know

  
  


[ gay cult ]

 

acornism: chan wants me to talk to minho but i dont think i can

 

bepis: hes probably right

 

boogie man: chan is always right

 

hyun jeanist: ill do it

 

acornism: I DIDNT MEAB SO IT FOR MW H Y YN J IN

 

acornism: HWS RIGHY NEXT TO M E

 

bepis: oh no

  
  


jisung is about to die when he realizes that minho is tapping him. he looks up from his phone, and minho smiles, “cat time." he states simply, and gets out of the car.

 

jisung does the same, following him down the sidewalk with his legs feeling like they could give out at any moment. if hyunjin really does ask him then everything is gonna be awkward between them, and he'll have officially ruined it. minho will definitely think he's weird after he learns all of this.

 

as they reach the apartment door, jisung hopes that hyunjin will delay the conversation enough to let him see the cats for a few minutes before minho kicks him out. 

  
  


 

  * __new message from christopher robin__



 

  
  


christopher robin: is there a reason hyunjin wants screenshots of our conversation

 

peter han: kill me

 

christopher robin: jisung

 

peter han: he said hwd tell minho for me but im literally in minhos house rn and i donr really wanma panic in fromt of him ahaim

 

christopher robin: you know itll be fine ji

 

christopher robin: go cuddle a cat, you deserve some distractions

  
  


jisung takes the advice, even though he would've done so anyway.

 

he sets down the snack bag on the kitchen counter, “ill boil some water.” he says softly, hoping minho will leave him alone long enough that he can die in peace.

 

walking through the kitchen is weird. he's been here so many times before but now it feels like there's impending doom just around the corner. he spots the kettle sitting on the counter, and grabs it. he wanders over to the sink, hearing minho hum softly in the living room. 

 

despite not being close, he really doesn't want to lose minho. for his own sake, and also for chan's. if minho stops talking to jisung, then chan will stop talking to minho. he can't do that to them, not when they so obviously like each other. 

 

turning on the sink to fill the kettle, he feels his own panic induced water rising. it's soaked through his shoes, and socks, rising up until it's reaching his shoulders. his hands are shaking violently, and he quickly turns off the water before the kettle gets too heavy for his shaky arms. he sets it on the stove, and turns it on, wishing he could vanish into nothing. 

 

there's a cat already sitting on one of the dining room chairs. jisung pulls out the one next to it and sits down, huffing softly. the cat in question is soongie, and he pets the cat, feeling the soft fur against his warm palms. jisung's heart is beating so hard it feels like it might burst through his chest. he doesn't know what to do, and he isn't sure he can do anything, so he decides he should grab his snacks.

 

the slurpee is already starting to melt, he notes as he grabs it off the kitchen counter. he also grabs the box of pocky, because he might as well enjoy his last few minutes in the house. jisung comes back to the chair as he sips on his drink.

 

minho was right, watermelon isn't that bad, but it doesn't even compare to his usual blue raspberry. nothing ever does, except for maybe lemon lime.

 

soft footsteps alert him of minho approaching, and he braces himself for the worst. the older is gonna tell him he worries about stupid things and how stupid he is. minho will tell him that he's too sensitive, and that he cries way too easily. then, he'll tell him that he shouldn't even dream of being with changbin, the other will never want him. why would anyone want him? jisung can't even go one day without having a breakdown.

 

gentle arms fall around his shoulders, and he feels the other lean against him. “i don’t know what you're thinking, but it's probably not true.” minho mumbles into his hair.

 

jisung's vision blurs for a whole new reason.

 

minho continues, “i don't know what's got you so worried about this, but i don't think you're weird, or stupid, or anything like that.” jisung feels something hot run down his face, and realizes then that he's crying.

 

“i think you're one of the most genuine people i've ever met, and though you're kind of annoying sometimes, i think it adds to your charm.”

 

jisung's really crying now, he has to hold back a gross sob as he chokes on his breath. minho just holds him tighter, burying his nose in his hair. the gesture is small, but it makes him feel grounded again. tears keep falling, wet and warm.

 

“as for changbin,”

 

he really, really doesn't wanna hear it, he can only fear for the worst.

 

“i can't really tell you what he thinks of you, because i'm not him, but I can say that he definitely doesn't think you're weird. sweetie, he texted me as we left asking what your name was. i don't think he'd go out of his way to do something like that if he thought you were weird. he's not that type of person.”

 

jisung finds himself relieved at his words, sinking into the embrace. he remembers what felix keeps telling him, and takes a deep breath in, trying to calm himself at least a bit. 1soongie meows at him and jumps onto his lap, purring.

 

“i know you like him a lot, it doesn't take much to see that. i can also tell you really care about him, love. you're way too kind and considerate for your own good. you have to know that boy is stubborn as all hell, though. if you're really serious about this, you're gonna have your work cut out for you.”

 

jisung lets himself cry.

 

but it's not longer a sad cry, it's one of relief. he doesn't know what hyunjin said to minho, but he doesn't need to. jisung may be irrational most of the time, but even his anxiety knows that the older boy is sincere. minho, as evil as he seems at times, would never lie to him, especially in a situation like this.

 

perhaps what means the most is knowing that the other wants to support him as he pursues his crush, said crush being minho's own best friend. what he did do to deserve this, is a mystery. 

 

what he does know, though, is that he's the luckiest man on earth.


	3. why is my friend an asshole?

when you work at a convenience store for minimum wage, you should expect to have to deal with way more bullshit than you're getting paid for. changbin knew this the day he applied for this job, but he didn't really have another choice. the last job he had made him want to delete himself from the universe, and he nearly died at the hands of his manager multiple times. he told himself he'd never work minimum wage again, but here he is.

 

it's not nearly as horrid as he makes it out to be, though.

 

in fact, it's incredibly amusing at times. you never know what's gonna walk through that door, whether it be an obnoxious child or old man who just really likes gas station pizza. he'll never understand that one, but hey, more entertainment for him.

 

perhaps the most interesting costumer, is that boy who comes in every single day and gets the exact same thing: cheetos and a blue raspberry slurpee. there has not been a single day where changbin hasn't seen him come into the store. same time every week, and then randomly over the weekend. he's memorised what the boy likes to buy and has practically memorized the amount it'll cost. 

 

one time he swapped out his regular blue raspberry slurpee for a lemon lime one, and he almost asked the kid if he was okay.

 

changbin finds himself wondering how the hell that boy has all that money to spend at 7-11. when you come in and spend ten dollars on junk everyday it usually adds up. sometimes, the kid gets leaves the cheetos behind, getting only a slurpee, and he wonders if that's a result of him wasting all his money here.

 

his favourite customer has to be that old man that comes in once a week, though. without fail, every friday a loud truck pulls up. it has monster truck wheels, which he doesn't even think is legal. the first time he saw it he was convinced he might die right then and there, be killed by a gang or something. then, out steps a small old man with bright pink hair. there's a cane in his right hand and an umbrella in the other, and changbin made note of the fact that it wasn't even raining. he watches this guy walk slowly up the door, and struggle to open it for a few seconds, until he finally comes inside with the biggest smile on his face. “ _ i'd like a whole cheese pizza, please _ .” he says, and so, changbin makes him his whole cheese pizza. the old man will smile at like he's just gifted him a new house, and say “ _ thank you so much, my boy. god bless you.” _ then he pays, and leaves. never to return until the next friday.

 

there's never a shortage of weirdos, creeps, and drug addicts. he already knew that he'd be dealing with some bullshit before he even applied for the position, but when you're actually the one standing behind the counter, you realize just how much it sucks to be yelled at by strangers. changbin doesn't want to think about that now, though, cause his shift just ended and he has to go to a lecture. hes thankful for the fact he has only afternoon classes, though its slightly annoying at times. maybe he'll try to convince minho to drop him off some food in between classes.

 

the streets are always busy around this time. it's just after 1:00, so it's understandable. people are either getting lunch or returning from doing so, and it's a mess everywhere. luckily for him, his university is within walking distance of his job, so he doesn't have to worry about bus money. 

 

as he gets to the god awful stairs that prevent entrance into the main building, he wonders who thought they were a good idea. who the fuck wants to walk up a giant set of stairs just to get to class? maybe like a work out obsessed dude, but other than that there's no way anyone's happy with these. even the teacher's look tired walking up there every damn day. arriving at the top is just annoying, because you can't feel accomplished when you have to climb them twice a day.

 

yelling always echoes around the hall's of the building. you'd think people in university would be serious, but there are some many people who just lounge around and do whatever they want. he's envious of those people, sometimes, but would feel guilty skipping class when his parents are paying for his tuition. also he would actually like to get his degree, no matter how much he complains about going to university.

 

reaching the right room, he shoves the door open and wanders on into class. there's already a couple dozen students bustling around, choosing seats they deem the best. changbin just sits in the very middle, like usual. he's actually not a big fan of this spot, but sana refuses to sit anywhere else. when he asked her why all she had yelled “its the ultimate seat! not too high, not too low, not too many people, its wonderful!” he disagrees with the not too many people part, since they're literally in a lecture hall with hundreds of people.

 

sana and him weren't really what one would call friends. they mostly borrowed each other's notes and bought coffee together. one time when some guy tried to hit on her, she loudly declared to the entire class that they were dating. now everyone in that one class thinks that they're a couple, when in actuality sana is just a stupid lesbian who doesn't think before she speaks. some people even call them cute together and it makes them both cringe violently. he knows that blurting it wasn't intentional but he still holds it over her head as blackmail. it's not evil, it's just business.

 

the chatter around him is rather annoying, so he takes out his phone and scrolls through spotify. there's so many playlists, most of which he made in a rush and then promptly forgot about after a week. he decides he'll just play an album, and taps on mamamoo's melting. letting the music drown out the sound of the voices around him, he doesn't notice sana saunter on up beside him. the girl watches him impatiently as he mutters the lyrics to you're the best. he's grabbing out his laptop, when sana leans over and pulls on the wire. he glares at her, “the fuck was that for?” he grumbles, opening his laptop and signing in. “don't ignore me, coward.” she seats herself next to him. ignoring her, he grabs out his phone to text minho about food.

  
  


beans: can we get food later

 

beans: i dont wanna see sana any longer than i have to

  
  


the girl in question flicks him on the forehead. when he turns to her she simply sticks her tongue out. “don't read over my shoulder you creep.” she takes offense at his words, but turns away instead of resonding. changbin opens up the group consisting of him, minho, seungmin, woojin, and woojins boyfriend (he still doesn't know his name.)

  
  


[ fuck u ]

  
  


mintoe: bin stop asking me to buy him stuff challenge

 

bin: alright fuck you

 

mintoe: im not your sugar daddy bitch pay for your own food

 

jin: minho is broke in the first place

 

bin: not as broke as that dude who keeps blowing all his money on slurpees

 

chin: sounds fun

 

bin: thinking about it makes my bank hurt

 

min: you feel pain through your bank?

 

bin: yes

 

chin: seems legit

 

min: i bet thats his reason for not going to uni

 

mintoe: hes actually in uni lmao

 

bin: YOU KNOW THIS KID????

 

mintoe: if its the same person were thinking of? then yes

 

chin: wait are we talking about my son

 

bin: wh

 

min: im so lost

 

chin: he hasnt responded to any of my texts today and im grieving

 

jin: f

 

min: f

 

mintoe: idk but theres a kid who comes the gay club with and he always has a slurpee

 

min: thats just dedication

 

jin: priorities

 

bin: i still want food btw your slurpee discussion cant distract me

 

mintoe: okay but im bringing my son with

 

bin: idc i want food

 

min: tell him he owes me $5 for that bubble tea yesterday

 

mintoe: aight

  
  


changbin puts his phone away as his professor walks in. lectures are soemthing he's not a big fan of. too many people, too much noise, and they always feel way longer than they actually are. he pauses his music and pulls out his headphones. he might not like lectures, but not paying attention isn't gonna get him a degree for anything.

  
  


-

  
  


there's about one thousand messages from minho, all telling him the exact same thing; meet outside the main building. he walks down the cursed stairs and makes his way over to said building. despite it being an art university there are no murals, or even anything slightly artistic about the school's campus. just a whole lot of bricks and white painted hallways. some people claim it helps them be creative without any interferance. how anyone gets inspiration in this place is beyond him. 

 

in the distance he sees minho standing next another person, who he assumes is jooheon. he hasn't really spoken to the other all that much but judging from the little interactions they have had, he seems like a nice guy. either way, he knows minho wouldn't hang out with someone who's an asshole. 

 

greeting him with a violent wave, minho leans over to say something to the shorter boy, who nods softly after a few seconds. he gives them a look as he finally reaches the car, but doesn't comment on the whispering. “where are we going?” he asks as he opens the passenger door. minho smirks, “joohoney wants bubble tea, so were getting bubble tea.” the boy in question smiles guiltily. changbin sighs, “i want food.” he says simply. minho shrugs, “buy it yourself.”

 

he chooses to ignore that comment and settles into his seat. the other two are chatting casually, and he's feeling petty, so he decides he might as well talk to his more considerate friends.

  
  


[ fuck u ]

  
  


bin: minho is a snake and deserves no rights

 

bin: mans taking us to get bubble tea smh

 

min: f

 

jin: cant you buy your own food?

 

bin: yes but he said he would and now he's backstabbed me like this

 

chin: petty

 

bin: absolutely

 

chin: which place are you going to?

 

bin: probably that one by the park

 

chin: my friend works there!! tell him i say hi if you see him

 

bin: i dont even knwo what he looks like??

 

min: just imagine the cutest boy

 

bin: ne

 

chin: jeongin

 

jin: youre all disasters

 

chin: hold up

 

chin sent an image

 

chin: hes on the right

 

bin: theyre both cute??

 

min: i think youre just gay

 

min: id let felix step on me tho

 

chin: dont speak about my son like that

 

bin: i thought he was your friend?

 

jin: yall are disasters

  
  


the car engine turns off, and minho leads the three of them inside. he holds the door open for jooheon and then slams it in minho's face, still petty from earlier. the older boy just smirks at him, and blows a very dramatic kiss in his direction. he acts as disgusted as he can, but being petty is exhausting, especially when it's directed towards your best friend.

 

once they're in line, jooheon turns to them with a serious expression. “okay, this might be a deal breaker but i gotta ask; which flavour is the best in y'alls opinion?” minho's response is immediate, “matcha or strawberry. depends on the mood, but i prefer strawberry more.” jooheon nods thoughtfully, then turns to changbin with an expectant look. “uh, i just like milk tea. maybe green tea sometimes.” the blonde nods, looking satisfied with his answer. he watches the boy pull out his phone with a smug expression and type something out, before putting it away as if it never happened. before changbin can get a chance to ask, it's their turn to order.

 

the cashier is a cute boy with freckles all over his face, and it takes changbin a moment to realize that this is felix. after they finish ordering, he leans over, “your cousin told me to say hi for him.” felix smiles brightly and laughs, “tell him just to text me next time.” and then he's whisked away by minho. jooheon got strawberry, minho got matcha, and he decided on regular milk tea, as usual. they stand off to the side as they wait for their drinks, and changbin decides to ask what that was all about. “is there a reason you looked so smug after asking us what our favourite flavours were?” the boy in question smiles, “changkyun is trying to convince me that mango is a good flavour. i swear this bitch doesn't have taste buds.” changbin snorts at that, and minho starts wheezing. “it's prob- probably from all that fucking sour shit he eats.” he manages between laughs. changbin feels awkward in this exchange, he knows seungmin likes mango, but doesn't feel it's a good time to speak up. he'll just defend the boy in spirit.

 

upon hearing his name, minho retrieves their drinks, and they leave the shop. jooheon looks slightly worried, and asks for the time. “it's like, 3:10” this information makes him go white, “ah shit, i have class in 15 minutes.” minho puts a hand on his shoulder reassuringly, “you'll be fine, we can get back on time.” then he turns to changbin, “when's your next class?” “um, i still have an hour.” minho unlocks the front doors and lets jooheon in the front seat. he isn't gonna voice his complaints, but then minho is smiling at him wickedly “okay, you have time to walk back then. bye!” and then they're driving away, leaving changbin in the middle of the street with just his milk tea and his almost empty wallet.

 

what the actual fuck.

  
  


[ fuck u ]

  
  


bin: minho i want you to know i ahte you so much

 

min: whatd he do this time?

 

bin: HE FUCKING LEFT ME HERE

 

bin: HE WAS LIKE “oh you have time to walk to class” AND ABANDONED ME

 

chin: oof

 

jin: thats rough

 

jin: did you at least get food?

 

bin: NO 

 

bin: ALL I HAVE IS MY BUBBLE TEA AND WHATEVERS LEFT IN MY BACK ACCOUNT IM GONNA DIE HERE

 

min: f

 

chin: do you want me to come grab you? i have a some time before my next class

 

bin: PLEASE

 

bin: I OWE YOU MY LIFW

 

bin: im shaking im crying i cant believe ive been betrayed by my bro like this

 

min: you have bubble tea tho

 

bin: shhh

 

jin: sometimes i wonder how you guys are still alive

 

bin: pure luck

 

min: sold my soul to satan

 

jin: oh boy

 

chin: are you still outside the place bin?

 

bin: yea

 

chin: okay, ill be there in 5

  
  


a saviour, that's what the aussie is. an angel sent from heaven to make sure that dumbasses like him don't get screwed over by their friend. this boy is his knight in shining armour and he doesn't even know his name. he can't remember whether it's his fault or not, because he can't remember a clear time he was told what his name was.

 

speaking of his saviour, the man pulls up next to him and unlocks the door. changbin hops in and gives him a look that just reads as ‘i'm tired of this shit’. “i owe you my life.” he says, and aussie sighs. “you can pay me back by buying food.” there's a soft smile on the other's face, so he nods, “alright, where are we headed?”

 

they decide on getting chinese food, as there's a panda express close to their university. the drive there is silent, but it's not uncomfortable. it's the kind of silence that lets you think. calm, comfortable, just generally pleasant. changbin takes the time to think about ways to get back at minho. there's the option of hiding fake spiders in his bed and letting him suffer, or he could lock him out of his apartment one day and tell everyone not to let him in. perhaps he could boycott minho for the rest of the week, but he doesn't think that will work. as much as his best friend pisses him off he really can't go more than two days without seeing him. he really does suffer greatly from best friend withdrawal, no matter how much he denies it in front of other people.

 

they pull up to the building and get out of the car. when they get inside, changbin is surprised at the lack of a line. aussie turns to him, “what are we getting?” “i don't know what you want, but i want chow mein.” the older nods, “i might as well have that too. i'm not picky.” they order their food, and stand around by the pick up counter. 

 

“i've been meaning to ask, how did you meet minho?” changbin finds himself asking. aussie looks slightly taken by surprise at the sudden question, and then chuckles awkwardly. “well, uh, it's a long story?” he obviously wants to avoid telling it but now changbin is invested, “oh come on, it can't be that bad.” he sighs, and prepares to spill, when they're interrupting by a worker yelling out their number. grabbing their food, they sit down in an empty table in the corner, and changbin stares at chris expectantly.

 

“okay so, i was planning on going home that day to do work, but felix asked me to drop him off at home, and i'm terrible at saying no, so i agree. i got to school, and was going to find him when someone grabs me by the hood of my sweater, and drags me into a dark room. i tried to ask what was happening but the guy just tells me to shush, so i stop trying. suddenly, the door flies open, and he pushes me forward into the arms of someone else, and then books it off into the distance. the other guy drops me to chase after him, and i don't see either of them again until the next day. the guy who pulled me into the room was minho, and apparently they were playing an intense game of tag and he needed a distraction. then he forced me to go get lunch with him, and i kind of went ultra gay when he laughed at one of my stupid jokes.”

 

honestly, none of the story surprises changbin, but he can't help but laugh at it. minho is chaotic as hell, and he can only imagine how confused the aussie was. the man is practically a saint, after all. “wow, that's so romantic. i can really see why you'd fall for him.” he receives a stern look for that, but changbin is too busy trying not to choke on noodles while laughing.

 

when they're finished aussie drives them back to school, and waves changbin off with a giant smile. in all honesty, changbin wishes they would've had more time to hang out. while he still doesn't think he can call the two friends, he feels like it would nice to befriend him in the future. hopefully, he can use his wingman powers and get minho and the man together. he may not know him that well but he can tell that he'd be good to him.

 

before any of that, though, changbin really hopes he can just learn the guys damn name.


	4. in which jisung almost died

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for being a little late with this one gjdjjfjd ive got a few things im working on rn so updates might be a little slow!! but ill try to get around to them every week or two.

waking up the next morning he feels like he's been hit by a train.

 

jisung doesn't even know where he is. the rooms is unfamiliar, and he definitely doesn't remember getting into bed. then, the exhaustion reminds him exactly what happened yesterday. 

 

minho didn't let him go to class for the rest of the day, too concerned about his mental state. they watched an episode of some kdrama while cuddled on the couch, and then minho had to leave for class. the other told him he could stay here as long as he needed, and jisung must have passed out after that. 

 

apparently, he was also moved to a bed, which he assumes is minho’s. he's glad for it, because a sore back is really the last thing he would want after what happened yesterday. the day after a panic attack he always wakes up feeling like he's been drained of all his energy, and today is no exception.

 

jisung looks around the room. the walls are white, and completely blank. there's actually not a lot of decoration around the room at all, except for the cat tree and a picture frame on the dresser. from what little he can see of it at this angle, it's of minho, standing beside who he assumes is his parents. 

 

on the side table lays his phone, plugged into the wall, and also his glasses. (thank god minho took them off.) he grabs his glasses first and puts them on, finally being able to see clearly once more. he picks up his phone as well, and the screen reads that it's at 100%. there's also 1000 notifications (not an exaggeration, felix is a god at spamming), and he huffs, knowing he's not gonna have the patience to read them all.

  


christopher robin: howd it go? i assume well from what hyunjin said

 

christopher robin: you alive?

 

christopher robin: i hope youre doing alright

 

christopher robin: i know youre probably asleep but just know i love you a lot. take care of yourself

 

christopher robin: dahyun said you werent in class for the rest fo the day, i hope youre fine

 

christopher robin: i love you jisung, please rest well

  


jisung smiles at the messages on his screen. chan always has a way of making him feel better, no matter the circumstances. he wishes he could've let him know he was okay, but he might as well do it now.

  


peter han: ily2

 

peter han: and im fine, just tired from everything

 

christopher robin: okay, thats good

 

christopher robin: it went well?

 

peter han: yes

 

peter han: tell ur future bf i owe him my soul

 

christopher robin: were not dating

 

peter han: sure jan

 

peter han: he really does deserve my soul tho

 

christopher robin: see, you were just catastrophizing. nothing is ever as bad as it seems

 

peter han: i know, im just glad its over

 

christopher robin: days like that suck, but eventually youll have an experience that makes all of those hardships worth it

 

peter han: your wisdom is ineffective, i havent had breakfast

 

christopher robin: fksjfkejf ske fj w

 

christopher robin: go eat smth!!

 

peter han: i dont wanna steal food from minho

 

christopher robin: just ask, fool

  


jisung knows chan is right but he still doubts himself anyway. minho has done so much for him, has been way too sweet to him, and he doesn't want to take advantage of his kindness. he opts to instead get up and wander around. he doesn't remember if they ate all of the snacks yesterday, maybe there's some left overs he can eat. 

 

in any other situation, he would just follow his routine. he has a morning routine for each of his friends houses, in fact. at felix's, he gets up and raids the fridge for whatever he can, because the other doesn't care. at hyunjin's, the boy always wakes up before him and makes something, so he never has to worry about it. on the weekends, when neither of them have class, chan will wake him up at 11:00 am and they'll go get pancakes together. 

 

jisung's never stayed overnight at minho's house, though. he's got no routine for this situation, because he never had the chance to make one. 

 

as he walks down the hall, he checks more of his messages.

  


felicia: hey bro idk where you at but i hope youre okay!! ily

 

jessica: im okay

 

jessica: stayed over at minhos

 

felicia: oh? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

 

jessica: he basically told me i have permission to date changbin

 

felicia: WOOOOOO!!!!

 

jessica: also said changbin is stubborn and thats super helpful

 

felicia: lmaoooo yall said that about hyunjin and guess what happened with us

 

jessica: shut up

  


he finds himself standing in the middle of the kitchen, when he notices a sticky note on the counter. its reads: _had class early, help yourself to breakfast!_ with a weird smiley face underneath. well, guess he doesn't have to ask minho after all.

 

jisung opens the fridge, staring at the contents thoughtfully. there's eggs that he could make, but he doesn't feel like cleaning up the mess afterwards. there's also a singular yogurt cup, for some reason. he remembers minho once saying something about being lactose intolerant, so he has no idea why it's in there. 

 

before he settles on anything in the fridge, he checks the freezer. upon first glance, nothing of interest. just random frozen foods that have probably been in there for months.

 

then, he spots it.

 

a box of eggos in the freezer door, the ultimate breakfast.

 

wrestling the box out, he takes two waffles and looks around for the toaster. it's sitting beside the kettle, next to the stove. he tosses the two egos into it, adjusting the settings and pops them in.

 

throwing the box back into the freezer way more carelessly then he probably should, jisung sits down at the kitchen table. he's in the same spot he had his break down in yesterday, and proceeds to check the group chat (there's over 200 messages from there)

  


[ gay cult ]

  


acornism: just so were all aware im alive

 

boogie man: cool lol

 

hyun jeanist: good!! what happened?

 

acornism: its fine, i just passed out at minhos and now im awake and waiting for my egos to cook

 

hyun jeanist: god i wish i had egos rn

 

bepis: youre in class

 

hyun jeanist: your point?

 

bepis: understandable have a great day

 

acornism: on another note i cant wait to see that cute boy again

 

boogie man: changbon or me

 

hyun jeanist: i thought it was changbin

 

acornism: its changbin

 

acornism: while we were talking last night minho told me that he?? asked?? for my name??????

 

acornism: im still ascending as we type

 

bepis: omg i told you youre gonna make him fall for you

 

hyun jeanist: jisung you make literally everyone you talk to happy, its your effect

 

bepis: the jisung effect

 

acornism: is that the reason yall are friends with me

 

bepis: yes and no 

 

bepis: ur like cute or whatever

 

hyun jeanist: yeah but felix is cuter

 

bepis: u-uwu

 

boogie man: gross

  


the sound of the toaster alerts him to get up. walking back into the kitchen, he wonders if minho has syrup. he opens up each cupboard one by one, and spots way too many bags of cat treats in one of them. finally, he finds a bottle of maple syrup. grabbing a plate out of one of the previous cupboards, he sets it down next to the toaster.

 

now he just has to get them out without burning his hands off.

 

carefully, he reaches over, and pokes one of the waffles. jisung retracts his hand immediately, hissing at the pain. he stick his burnt finger into his mouth for a second, then tries again. after much trial and error, he successfully gets his egos onto the plate, and covered in syrup.

 

during his struggle, the chats swarmed around him. as he walked towards the table they all followed him, meowing softly. the company of the cats is welcomed by him, there's never a bad time for cuddles.

  


[ gay cult ]

  


bepis: im trying to focus on this lecture but i cant stop thinking about that picture of thanos

 

hyun jeanist: which one tho

 

bepis: the one where he has his ass out

 

boogie man: im sorry what

 

acornism: excuse me

 

bepis: YOU HAVENT SEEN IT??

 

bepis: OH MYG OD

 

acornism: should i be scared

 

hyun jeanist: its not a good picture

 

hyun jeanist: he is fuckin thicc tho

 

acornism: how many cs

 

boogie man: IM A BABY I DONT WANT TO SEE IT

 

acornism: HAH YOU FINALLY ADMIT IT

 

bepis: i just want thanos to crush my head between his thicc thighs

 

hyun jeanist: valid

 

acornism: valid

 

boogie man: not valid

 

bepis: thanos please crush me with your thighs

 

acornism: big mood

 

boogie man: please shut your mouths for once

 

bepis: no

 

acornism: no

  


jisung took a bite out of his syrup drowned waffles, savouring the sweetness. as he does this, a new notification pops up on his screen. 

 

__(1) new message from mentos_ _

 

mentos: whens your next class

 

mentos: i can drop you off if you want

 

jisucc: i dont have class until 12

 

mentos: oo lucky

 

mentos: wanna get smth to eat after im done here

 

jisucc: sure? i just ate your egos

 

mentos: thats chill lmao

 

mentos: i was gonna ask if you could feed my cats

 

jisucc: uhh okay

 

mentos: i keep their food in the pantry, bottom shelf

 

jisucc: ok

  


so, apparently he has to feed cats now. a part of him wonders if he'll be successful, but that's kind of a stupid thing to think about. he's feeding cats, how hard can it be? if there's one thing he can accomplish, it should be that.

 

except, it's not as easy as he thought it would be. jisung has retrieved their food, but he's realizing now that he has no clue how much to feed them, or where their bowls are for that matter. where would someone keep a cat food dish? his first thought would be the laundry room, but there is no laundry room in minho's apartment. he checked the kitchen already, but they're no where to be seen. how the fuck is he supposed to feed the cats if they don't have a dish?

 

pacing around the kitchen doesn't help him think of anywhere the dishes could be, but he does it anyway. just then, it occurs to him that all the cats ran off in the same direction after he grabbed their food bag. maybe they were running to their dish? it's worth a shot. he grabs the bag off the kitchen counter and goes to find them.

 

so now jisung is walking down the hall, spotting all three cats are sitting outside the bedroom door. they're meowing at him expectantly, and dori starts weaving between his legs. as soon as he opens the door they rush towards the cat tree, almost tripping him in the process. then, jisung sees it, three bowls all lined up in front of said cat tree. why on earth minho feeds his cats in his bedroom, he doesn't know, but he supposes it's not as weird as his mom is. she always fed their cats on the kitchen table during their own dinner, saying that “it isn't a family dinner unless all of the family is present.”

 

jisung doesn't like to think about his mother. the woman had always treated him like a burden, ever since his mental illnesses started to surface. he was always the least favourite child, and though he tried to not let it bother him, it really did. there came a point, when he turned sixteen, that jisung realized he didn't want to live with he anymore. he knew she would say no if he asked to move out so he did the next best thing, and came out to her. she promptly kicked him out, and cut all contact. chan's parents were kind enough to fly him out to come stay with them, and the rest is history. jisung doesn't regret his decision for a single second.

 

once he feeds the cats, they all ignore him in favour of eating. he stands in the doorway and watches the cats eat for a lot longer than is probably considered normal. after a few minutes, dori gets up and runs down the hall, soon followed by the others. jisung follows too, because why not

 

they all end up in the living room, staring out the patio door. there are birds fluttering around and dori looks about ready to jump through the glass at one of them. he doesn't know what one is supposed to do in this situation, but he really doesn't want the cat to get hurt, so he grabs her and holds her above his head. 

 

jisung's brain helpfully reminds him that this looks a lot like that one scene in the lion king.

 

the sound of the front door being unlocked startles him, and the two cats on the ground run towards the door. minho opens the door, and greets the meowing cats. when he finally looks at jisung, he just stares at him in silence.

 

the older looks at how he's holding dori, then makes eye contact silently, and jisung can't think of anything to say. “um, should i ask?” he says softly, and his brain can't even process the words. “what?” he says smartly, and minho shakes his head, stepping into the house. 

 

it's only now that jisung realizes changbin is there, and this information makes him immediately put dori down. she runs off towards the kitchen, looking quite annoyed. he stands in the middle of the room awkwardly, not wanting to seem weird in front of either of them. especially changbin.) he already made a bad impression on changbin, he doesn't need to give the other more reasons to think he's strange.

 

minho pets his cats, cooing at them softly. it's awkwardly silent for a moment, until the eldest boy stands up again, and beckons jisung over.

 

“so! i want to go to that cute cat cafe again and i don't want to go alone so you're both coming with me.” jisung almost glares at minho, but stops himself. he's not going to risk it, free food is free food, after all.

 

once they've headed out, jisung finds himself gravitating towards his phone. he doesn't really want to start panicking in minho's car thinking over everything horrible scenario that might happen while they're out, so he distracts himself instead.

  
  


acornism: this is a bruh moment

 

bepis: bruh

 

hyun jeanist: bruh

 

boogie man: bruh

 

hyun jeanist: whats crackening bro

 

acornism: im being forced to go to a cat cafe with minho and changbin

 

bepis: minho about to thrid wheel huh

 

boogie man: thrid

 

bepis: shut up im trying my best

 

acornism: I DONT EVEN KMOW CJANBIN THAT WELL

 

boogie man: cjanbin? i thought it was changbon 

 

hyun jeanist: changbon…

 

acornism: this is bullying

 

bepis: it'll be fine sung

 

bepis: if he aint chill ill come over a whoop his ass

 

hyun jeanist: what

 

boogie man: what

 

bepis: you know what i meant dont what me

 

acornism: ah fuck we here im gonna yeet myself

 

bepis: L

 

boogie man: L

 

hyun jeanist: L

  


green was all you could really describe the inside of the cafe as. from the walls, to the plants, to the weird abstract art, it was all green. to give the place credit, they did use brown and yellow to contrast against the vibrant colour, so it wasn't too bad to look at. but god, how much green can you have in one place? not even nature isn't this intense.

 

to be honest, the only good part about the place is the cats. they were all super friendly, friendly enough to run up to you and try and steal your food. in fact, one time jisung watched a cat start drinking an old ladies coffee. that was one of the risks of eating in the place, don't watch your food and a cat will probably snatch it. 

 

jisung was trailing behind the other two, feeling kind of like a third wheel, except without the date part. felix was right, but also wrong, so now he has a valid reason to fight him over later. 

 

but fights aside, right now all he wanted to do was pet the big orange cat sitting in the window. the cat was flopped onto it's back, basking in the summer sun. its paws were stuck outwards, and he could see it's little toe beans. he wishes he could be that chill, no worries, no panic attacks. just lounging around in the sun all day.

 

maybe being a cat isn't so bad.

 

minho snaps to get his attention, looking quite amused. “what do you want? or are you just gonna stare at that cat the whole time?” jisung glanced at the cat again, before turning to them.

 

when he noticed that changbin was staring at him too, he panicked. “um- uhhhhh... something sweet?” was all he could think of, his brain shutting off with the knowledge that changbin was staring at him. he really had to get a hold of himself.

 

minho sighed, “sorry, chan told me im not allowed to feed you sugar. try again.”

 

fuck you, christopher.

 

jisung decided to actually look over the menu this time. it was mostly summer themed treats. lemonade sounded good, so did every other sugary thing on the menu. minho shouldn't be allowed to say what he can and can't eat, and if he won't pay, he can pay for himself.

 

“lemonade and cookies. that's my final choice, no negotiations.” mingo gives him a look, but nods, giving in surprisingly easily. changbin just kind of looks between the two awkwardly, then recites what he wants to minho. he stares at changbin, finally realizing how tiny the boy was. like, could fit in his pocket levels of small. 

 

jisung suddenly really wants to cry.

 

minho is too busy talking to the cashier to make fun of him for the probably gross soft look he's giving changbin. jisung watches the way changbin twiddles his hands together looking down at the tiled floor, also covered in cat hair. he huffs, cheeks filling with and pouting as he breathes out. jisung almost dies on the spot, trying not to breakdown in the middle of a cat cafe. he would never live that one down.

 

the seating in the cafe was always covered in fur. whether it be from the cats running around or the people dragging it with them as they moved across the shop, there was always hair everywhere. not on the tables, somehow, but anywhere else you can think of? probably some cat hair hidden there.

 

speaking of it, he wonders how the hell the cats manage to get all this fur on everything. it's not like they really sit on the seats, but somehow theres always more hair there after you leave. they're like furry cryptids. wait, aren't some cryptids already furries? never mind, what's more important is do cryptids get hair cuts? what about mothman, does he go to the salon? does big foot shed or does he have to get hair cuts?

 

as soon as they sit down, he blurts out the question, effectively ending all conversation. it's silent for a moment, and he wonders if he's actually ruined the day, but then changbin is looking like he's deep in thought, and minho has busted out wheezing. “why- why is that what you're thinking about?” he coughs out, and changbin is silent. 

 

“well, what kind of creature is big foot? i mean, we know he's got fur, but is it hair? it depends, i mean, no one really knows. i don't think anyone's asked.” changbin looks completely invested in this theory, and he couldn't be any happier than he is. wait, nevermind, because now that fluffy orange cat is flopping onto his lap. talking to changbin, and petting a big fluffy cat? now this is what one calls happiness.

 

jisung smiles brightly, and minho gives a knowing look. “you should come cryptid hunting with me and the boys. one time we almost died; it was so fun.” the cat on his lap purrs, covering his jeans in fur, just like their conspiracy. changbin looks engaged now, lifting an eyebrow, “it sounds like there's a story attached to that?”

 

“saturday night, it's 2:00 am and me, felix, and hyunjin have acquired our cryptid hunting gear. it's very important to be sufficiently prepared, you never know what you're gonna see. one time i got attacked by three owls all at once, that was cool. anyway, we went out to this forest like an hour out, and we were just dicking around and then we see something move in the distance. obviously, being the impulsive genius i am, i ran right towards it. i was expecting some cool cryptid, one we could famous for seeing, right?" 

 

he pauses for effect, and feels his heart stutter when he notices changbin staring at him expectantly, eyes bright, head propped up on a hand. jisung forces himself to stop staring and continue.

 

"well, it wasn't a cryptid, it was actually a bear, and i think it thought i was getting ready to attack. we had like, an epic anime showdown, both of us in our battle stances, and then hyunjin started screaming- that boy is so loud, i swear. not as loud as jeongin, but loud. he rivals the sound of my apartments fire alarm. it's very unpleasant to hear at 1:00 am. he could like, break ear drums, or something. wait, where was i?”

 

“the bear, hyunjin started screaming at the bear.” changbin looked unbothered by the tangent, still invested in the story. 

 

“right. okay so hyunjin starts screaming, then i start screaming, and felix starts screaming and i think the bear got overwhelmed or was done with our shit because it turned around and left. then i cried for like an hour and that's why i'm scared of bears! wait no- that's how i almost died. yeah.” he ended with a proud smile, and minho looked like he was incredibly concerned. changbin on the other hand, started clapping. “alright, you've got me hooked, i wanna go on one these hunts.”

 

jisung beams back at him, heart going wild in his chest. “great! we do them once a month- whenever our schedules line up. usually on weekends. we haven't done one yet this month, so you're lucky.”

 

they spent the rest of their time talking about whatever came up, switching topics quite frequently thanks to jisung's rambling. he was having a hard time not staring at changbin, but every time someone started talking he would look over and give them all of his attention. having it directed towards him made jisung want to combust and melt into a puddle. the sugar from the lemonade and cookies were adding onto his madness. they were also really fucking good, why would minho ever want to take this away from him?

 

after a bit minho had excused himself to the washroom, and him and changbin just kept talking, not noticing the time fly by. he was less concerned about staring at changbin and now more concerned about trying not to stare at changbins lips, or his nose. seriously, who allowed him to have the cutest nose ever? he wanted to lean over and poke it, or give kiss it. either would work.

 

it only occurred to jisung that it had been twenty minutes since minho left when he finally looked at his phone. “wait- where the fuck is minho?” he blurted. changbin glanced at his phone and had the same realization. 

 

a scowl came across the other's face. “oh my god- he fucking didn't.” jisung looked confused, but upon seeing a notification pop up from minho he paused.

  


mintoes: enjoy ur date lol

 

mintoes: i know you wont ever invite him out on your own so im doing you a favour 😘

  


his face went bright red, and he shouted in distress. the cat on his lap flicked its tail in annoyance at the noise, retreating back to the window sill. changbin must have gotten a message as well, because he looked pissed. “this is the second damn time this week he's made me walk back to class- this fucker is gonna pay.”

 

changbin shoved his face into his hands, sighing. "i swear i'm gonna get back at him one day.” he glanced up at jisung, "wanna help?" jisung nodded furiously, not even considering what that meant. any chance to spend time with changbin would be absolutely worth it.

 

maybe he did have to thank minho after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> come yell at me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/chaengiis) or you can send things to my [cc](https://curiouscat.me/catsockz) if you want! kudos and comments are very appreciated! ♡

**Author's Note:**

> i post art for this au and general bullshit on my [twitter](https://twitter.com/catsockz) follow me cowards


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